Our life with a 7 month old

Well another month has past and our peanut is now seven months old.  She continues to grow and amaze us more and more everyday.

This month Noell has been working on her crawling skills.  She continues to "scoot/army crawl" across the floor.  She gets up on her hands and knees, rocks back and forth, and then plops back down to scoot.  Also, in preparation to crawling, Noell has mastered some yoga poses such as the plank and downward dog.  She is a strong little lady.  Our little mover scoots herself all over now and is getting quicker.  She enjoys crawling to the hardwood in our dining room and banging her hands on the floor...she likes the sounds it makes.  She also enjoys crawling over to Katie's toy basket and play with her toys instead of her own.  She also found the entertainment center and touches the playstation and the wires to her swing.  We quickly go over and say, "No" and move her to a new spot.  We also purchased a gate for our stairway.  She hasn't made it over there yet, but it would only be a matter of time and we want to be safe!

Working on crawling.

Downward Dog

Baby Plank

As for eating, Noell enjoys trying new foods.  Her main diet is still breastmilk and will be until she is one.  She gets one "meal" a day.  It is usually a mix between rice cereal, breastmilk, and a pureed fruit or vegetable.  Her favorite so far has been sweet potatoes (and prunes--which she needs...poor girl).  I also read an article on baby led weaning which is where you put non pureed food in front of her and she chooses what she wants to eat and how much.  I have tried this with some different foods such as peas, watermelon, crackers, and noodles.  She has gotten better and chomping down with her gums and the swallowing process (less gagging).  Once she finally gets teeth that will help her with some of those foods as well.

Noell has had some fun firsts this month.  She made it up to Lake Wissota on Father's day and got her toes in the sand and the water.  The water was still cold so she wasn't a fan right away.  Noell also went swimming in our little pool that we got for her.  We are hoping to get some swimming in this weekend on our first family vacation to Bayfield, Wisconsin for Kirk and Alex's wedding.

 

Another first for Noell was spending the night away from mommy and daddy.  She stayed with Grandpa Todd and Grandma Rachel while Mike and I went to Milwaukee for the Brewer game.  She did awesome for grandma and gramps and of course they loved having her as well.  My mom and dad were very good about sending picture updates!  The Brewer game was so fun.  We went with our friends, Krista and Heath.  We had Gold parking so we were just a couple rows away from Miller Park and our seats were 16 rows up behind home plate looking down the 3rd base line.  It was finally the first Brewer's game I had been to that the roof was open.  They did have to shut it towards the end of the game...but it was still a beautiful night.  We drove home from Milwaukee that night and right outside of Milwaukee we drove into a storm.  I was in the middle lane and I could barely see anything so I finally made it to the right lane where I had a straight, solid line to follow.  I was going about 20miles per hour.  There was a guy on a motorcycle that passed me...crazy man!!!  Thank the Lord we got through that because it was not fun.

This past Sunday we met my sister-in-law, Erica, and her parents, Mike and Deb, out for supper at the Stout Ale House in Menomonie.  She was home for a week for a friend's wedding, and I'm so excited that it worked out to see and visit with her!  Noell has grown a lot since she saw her last!  Now Noell just cannot wait to meet Uncle Chad (in person).....the time is getting closer!  We have been very fortunate to face time with my brother on Sunday afternoons.  It is great to see him and hear his voice AND know that he is okay!

I am excited to be spending the summer with my little precious girl.  The first week of "vacation" I organized and cleaned some rooms in our house.  Then last week I helped with the little girls volleyball camp...so this week is our first week home together!  Our summer will be short as I accepted the high school C-Team volleyball coach position this year.  So, practices start in mid August and then teacher inservice will start the week after. I am excited to be coaching the girls I coached last year as 8th graders.

There will be a new blog post soon I'm sure!  Have a great end of June and beginning of July!

Mike's First Father's Day and more!

Well on Sunday it will be Mike's first father's day.  Noell and I have been busy getting his awesome gift ready!  We did some art work (painting of the hands and feet) this morning.  It went MUCH BETTER than I thought it was going to.  It was fun to get all messy...and then she got to enjoy a bubble bath.  When I was wrapping the gift later in the day, she was right there to help.  The wrapping paper was shiny with lots of different colors and it made a neat sound when she would grab it.  We couldn't wait until Sunday to give him this gift...so he got it a little early but that's okay...he will still get the rest on Sunday!

Noell helping daddy open the present.

He LOVES it!

Reading the poems!

As for honoring Mike on his special day...I have all good things to reflect and say.  He was been an awesome father from day one.  He changes diapers, lays on the floor to play and read with Noell, feeds her, makes her special baby food, watches her when mom plays volleyball and does yoga, talks with her, carries her around the house when he is cooking or whatever, gives her baths, helps keep her smiling during mama's silly monthly photo shoots, helps get things for me when I am nursing, does her laundry and even folds the clothes (and lets me put them away...which is a good thing since I have it organized a certain way)....you name it...he does it (well except breastfeed of course....haha.  Just this morning I asked if he would pump for me...I guess that isn't happen' either).  I usually sing to Noell in the morning when I get her from the crib

"Good morning to you,
  Good morning to you,
  Good morning beautiful Noell,
  Good morning to you."

And if Mike was the one that would be waking her up in the morning he would carry her to me so I could still sing to her.  BUT on Tuesday morning of this week, he got her up and sang her the song himself!!!  AWE...melts my heart!

I hands down have the most amazing husband who also is the best dad to our daughter.  I imagined what he would be like when she arrived and he has exceeded any of my dreams of the father he would be.  I am going to add in there that I always knew he would be a great father...and he is better than great; I meant that in all positives (for all of you Negative Nancy's out there who thought I meant that comment negative)!!!  So, thank you Michael Ross...you are simply the best :)



Here is what the poems read from the gift pictures above:

Walk With Me, Daddy

By:  Helen Bush

Walk along side me, Daddy

And hold my little hand.

I have so many things to learn

That I don’t yet understand.

Teach me things to keep me safe

From dangers everyday.

Show me how to do my best

At home, at school, at play.

Every child needs a gentle hand

To guide them as they grow.

So walk along side me, Daddy

We have a long way to go.

My Daddy's Hand

Daddy, take my hand in yours and you will plainly see,
How very much I need you now to love and care for me.
As my little hand grows, I will need you even more,
Everything I do in life, I have never done before.
Teach me to be kind and loving, sharing and forgiving,
Show me through your acts of love the pure joy of living.
The years will pass by quickly and one day I will be grown,
I will pass what you have taught me onto children of my own.
Hold me always in your thoughts and remember when we are apart,
The special love between a child and a daddy's heart

I'm also going to do a tribute to my parents.

Here is to my dad who was a great father to Chad and I!  He has helped me in more ways than I even know.  I can't thank him enough for all that he has done and still does for me.  Love you, dad!

My mom is awesome.  She is my rock and my best friend (besides my husband).  She is a strong woman who has taught me a lot.  Since I didn't post anything on Mother's day, I thought I would honor her now! Love you, Mom!

 Have a great weekend, everyone!!!

Rocking Prayers

My Dearest Noell,

My most favorite, most reflective, most cherished time of day is every night after I nurse you and rock you to sleep.  This is the time when I can look at your cute, precious face and admire you while you sleep.  I enjoy this moment each night because I can watch you in peace, say our prayers, and take in all the amazing things that you have done each day.

Each night I say the prayer that I said as a child and that we will say together when you learn to speak and hopefully the one you will teach your children some day as you rock them to sleep.

 "Now I lay me down to sleep,
   I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
  Angels watch me through the night,
  And keep me safe till morning light.
  Amen.

  God bless Mommy, Daddy, Noell, Katie and the house,
  Grandmas and Grandpas,
  Aunts and Uncles,
  Cousins and friends,
  And God bless you, Jesus,
  Amen."

Then, after I say that prayer, I say a little prayer for you...

I pray for God to protect and guide you
I pray for your health and safety
I pray that you are happy
I pray that you love yourself and that you know how beautiful you are inside and out
I pray that you find friends that you can laugh with, be silly with, and have each other's backs
I pray that you are successful
I pray that you find true love and a person that treats you the way you deserve
I pray that you follow your dreams
I pray that I can help guide you in decisions and in life
I pray that I can be that person that you want to come to for anything
I pray that you will one day think of me not only as your mom but as well as your best friend
I pray that you find peace and happiness in every day
I pray that I can be the positive role model you need in your life
I pray that you find trust and faith in God to help guide you through life
I pray that when I am not with you, God is

I pray all of these things for you.

Noell, you are growing so fast.  I look at your newborn through six months pictures often because my heart is just full of all the wonderful things that you do each day, especially all of the joy you have brought to my life.  I remember when I went back to work when you were two months old and savoring those precious rocking moments and trying to take it all in then.  And now here we are almost five months later...

If I don't tell you enough, please keep this letter and read it when you need...I love you.  You are beautiful.  Thank you for being my amazing daughter.  And just remember...I'll love you forever.  I'll like you for always.  As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

Love always,
Mom

A Piece of Family History

As long as I can remember there was this red car that sat under a cover in Grandma and Grandpa Risberg's garage.  I could always see the tires and a little of the red paint under that cover.  I knew it was something special...something important...and something really cool.  It was until I was older that I came to find out that it was a Mustang.  A 1965 Mustang to be exact.  I never got to ride in it while I was younger and it was barely ever taken out.

When it got closer to my wedding day, we decided we should have a fun "get away" car for after the ceremony.  That's when the mustang came up.  My Grandpa had suffered from MS for the majority of his life and so when he had a stroke in April of 2009 his life changed significantly.  He was living in the Whitehall nursing home and we weren't sure if he would make it to the wedding, so we thought this would be one way to have him there in spirit, and a way to look back at that day and remember him.  Fortunately, he was strong enough that day to make it to the wedding and see his Mustang all ready for his granddaughter to use which makes looking back on that day an even better memory.

Since my grandpa passed in March of last year, the topic of what should be done with the car was discussed a lot.  The final decision is to sell.  As a buyer is looking at it today, we decided it would be wonderful to take a photo of how far our little family has come since our wedding day almost two years ago and to take it for one final spin down our road.  While driving the Mustang on this beautiful morning, I was thinking about how my Grandpa Quinn was in that car sitting next to us with the sun shining down, the wind blowing our hair, and smile on all of our faces.  It was a moment that I will treasure my whole life, and that I can share the importance of this moment along with many others to Noell about her Great-Grandpa!

In loving memory of my Grandpa Quinn!

6 months.. 26 weeks.. 183 days.. 4383 hours.. 262,974 minutes..

Noell is 6 months..
             26 weeks..
             183 days..
             4383 hours..
             262,974 minutes..

Time really does fly.  I always knew that expression, but I swear time goes much faster when you have a baby.  It feels like you wait and wait and wait to finally meet your precious babe, and the minute they come out time cannot go slow enough.

Our little girl has grown sooooo much in the last month.  She has hit so many milestones this month, we can't even believe it ourselves.

Days after Noell turned five months, she discovered her toes and started sucking on them immediately.  She will suck them laying on the floor, laying on her changing table, sitting in her carseat, laying in the bath, sitting in my lap...anywhere and everywhere!

When Noell was 51/2 months old we had let her suck on a pickle, carrot, and a cooked broccoli stick.  She was showing lots and lots of signs that she was ready to start eating.  I had wanted to wait until six months, because breastfed babies don't "need" to eat solids until that age.  Well, I just couldn't wait anymore and decided to start feeding her some food.  We started with some mashed bananas which she wasn't sure what to think right away and made many funny faces.  We then gave her some rice cereal which she likes.  We gave her a little peanut butter as well.  New studies are showing that earlier exposure to high allergenic foods help babies have a lesser chance of developing that allergy.  Now I know this isn't going to be true for all babies, but so far so good.  We just give her a very little bit at each feeding.  Not sure what our next food will be to try with the cereal, but I am excited to be making the food for our little sweetie!!!  She is also starting to drink a small amount of water out of a sippy cup with her food....she is learning fast!

Noell has always had long hair...but it just keeps a growin!  It hangs down in her face over her eyes and it drives momma crazy...not sure it really bothers her at this point.  So, I FINALLY got pony tails for her and we tried a couple new hair styles.  She hates it when I am putting them in (probably because she has to sit still) but once they are in she is just fine!

Pigtails!!!!

Pebbles style from The Flintstones!

The BIGGEST milestone is that Noell is on the move....scootin' that is.  She started a couple weeks ago and cannot be stopped...get out of her way, world!  She has started getting her legs under her butt and then tries to move forward but topples over...only a matter of weeks I'm sure until she is "crawling."  She is also sitting up by herself.  She leans way forward but is now able to push herself back up so her back is a little more straight.  She does tend to fall over if she leans to the side...so we have to build those muscles.  (I was going to post a video...but takes too long...so here is a picture of her sitting).

Noell has also started to recognize her name.  If you say her name, she will turn and look at you....so wonderful!  She has also started reaching out to people that she wants...usually mommy!!!  I have been working with her and trying to get her to say momma....but no luck thus far.  When she had cried a couple times it sounds like mom....b/c she says the mmmm sound...so I will take that for now.  She will probably say dadda first since those sounds are easier for little ones to say.

One more thing about Noell and then I'm promise I am done!!  I grew up loving storms and I want my children to not necessarily love them, but I definitely don't want them to be afraid of them.  So, yesterday when the severe thunderstorm hit the Whitehall area, she was taking an evening snooze on my chest.  She eventually woke up and started looking out the window at the rain and lightning (and she could hear the thunder since I still had a couple windows open).  When she would look out the window she would make the cutest noise...like OOOHHHH, OOOHHHH, OOOHHH and purse her lips like it was really cool.  Then she would turn her head the other direction, look out that window and do the same thing.  So we got up and stood by a window and it started to hail, so I set her down and went and got my car in the garage.  I left the garage door open, went and got her and Katie and we watched some of the storm from there.  She was smiling the whole time and making that cute noise....Katie on the other hands was a little nervous!  So, so far so good on getting Noell to like storms!!!

Well on the homefront, Mike has our garden started.  He is planting some veggies for us....we are hoping they turn out so we can enjoy them and use them to make some of Noell's food.  This is our first year growing a garden so everything is trial and error at this time.  We do have rhubarb growing from past years...I just don't know how to tell if its ready or what to do with it??  I know you use it to make sweets, but I wouldn't know the first thing to do to prep it.  We also have some raspberry bushes...I'm excited for those!

Mike is enjoying his job and it is going very well being full time there.  It is also nice to have him home every night....it is now weird to imagine that it used to be just Noell and I most nights.

As for me, I am officially done with my 4K kiddos for the year.  It went by really fast.  The last three days we had them for full days instead of the half days to get all of our hours in....wow did that make me tired!  After those three days were done, I had a hard time waking up the next morning!  It was a wonderful year.  I am used to switching jobs at the end of the school year, so I am looking forward to teaching 4K again in Pigeon.  It will be nice to see my students from this year again next year...so its been the first time that when I say goodbye to my munchkins that it is only for the summer!  I might even work with some of my 4K kids next year in Title!  I still have my title 1 kids for a few more days next week before they move to Sunset and become big 1st graders!  One more week....and then it is me and Noell all summer long!!!!!

These past few weeks with all of the graduations going on has got me thinking.... I have been out of high school for 7 years now....which doesn't make me feel old but what does make me feel old is the fact that I am closer to 30 than I am 18 (the age I was when I graduated).  The fact that I graduated from college 3 1/2 years ago and the fact that I am ending my third year of teaching makes me feel old.  So, I know in the realm of everything being 25 is not old....but I am not getting any younger either...so that makes me feel old!  Although I am feeling old for whatever reason, I am also feeling very blessed.  I have a wonderful husband who does laundry, cleans the kitchen floor, grows a garden, plays on the floor with our little peanut and is very involved in all of her growing and milestones, and he loves me!  I have a healthy, beautiful baby girl who has just taken over my whole heart.  It has been fun to watch her grow thus far, and I am excited to see how she continues to grow, learn, and show her personality. 

Have a great weekend everyone!!!!